, 1887-01-29

Of the upper floors Of the clock tower,
which is nearly 200 it. high. The flames
spread with alarming rapidity, and by the
time the first engine arrived the tower was
well ablazp. In less than ten or fifteen
minutes the escapes were brought up and
the fremen began to play upon the burn
ing mass, The flames by this time, only
a few minutes from the first notice, spread
d~ownWardS as we'll as upwards, and the
tower was all alight from top to bottom.
BY two o'clock the fire began to extend to
the side OF the building along Lawton-
street, and in avery few minuteSa ll the front
WAS burning. The premises here ae sew
en- stories high, all with very large Win
doWS. through which the fire was seen TO
be raging in the interior as in a furnace.
LaWton-Strpet is only about loft wide, and
the heat was so great that it was found
ncccSsa y to play upon SPECS aud Ponds
TrtleShmrUt OOmS and The Ger trail station
opposite. AT about 4 quarter to three a
portion of the top of LcwiSS wall fell into
LaWton-StTpet, and a few seconds after
wards the whole wall at The side between
the great tower and the smaller one at the
back fell out. 1t was expected every mo-
ment thai the clock tower would fall. At
the main front of The building in Ranelagh
street the square tower, nearly l0Ofl. in
height, had canght fire, and about half
past two the flames began to run down
the roofing AT about 2.l5 the scene pre-.
scented was one of the most remarkable
ever witnessed in Liverpool. From the
tulret the flames shot up sky-ward, while
flames burst from the windows. The fire
seemed to have possession of the whole
building from basement TO roof. Immedi-
ately behind LeWiS'S premises are a num-
Der OfhonSes, somewhat denSely populated,
N..l NlAy al,I 80 -, A4mn 80 - In l,ATt
furniture into the street. The turrrt on
the clock tower fell about thee o'clock,
and the flames ragged for fully two hours
afterwards. Nothing in the cntiIe block
was saved.
For some weeks past Messrs. Lewis have
had in the basement Of their premises a
large collection Of wild animals, and much
anxiety was felt dS to the fate of the mena-
gerip. Several lions, tigers, and bears
were soon got out from their perilouS po-
sition and carted away; but, owing to the
fury of he flames, it was deemed impru-
dent to approach the corner Of the build
ing where a Polar bear and two brown
bears were Gagged. The sparks flew in all
directions and the heat was intense. Short
ly after five o'clock about a dozen vOlun-
teers, at great personal risk, tied some
ropes around the two brown bears, who
were walking uleaSllY about III their dens,
and e~nleavOured to set them at liberty,
but in the attempt a huge piece of timber
from the roof of the building fell and struck
two of HE men to the grOund-One on the
chest and the other on the arm-neceSsita-
ting their removal to the Royal Infrmary,
whence, after being carefully treated, they
were removed home.
The Polar bear was especially vaIu.
ed by Mr.. Cross, the owner of the ami
mails, and accordingly it was determined
to do all that could be done to save it. A
fireman was stationed as near as possible
to that part of the establishment in which
the cage was placed and was instructed to
play his hose on the bear. This was done
during the whole time the cOn1agration
was raging, and the bear, at seven o'clock
in the morning, was left amid the smoking
ruins the only living thing in its neigh
bourhood. The two brown bears close to
it were absolutely roasted to death. Their
struggles were terrible to behold. On the
fire reaching them they rose on their hind
legs and, as the fireman say, "fought like
two men till the, heat oyeFpowWeerred item"
Ibid.